Prepare Ye the Way of the Houseguests!!

Have you ever gone to great lengths to prepare your house for guests?

I confess, we are in the throws of it right now. For, you see, we are having a dinner party for about 30 at our house on Saturday night!! Oh, the preparations! To date, we have already put up the Christmas tree, decorations, and the outside light show (though not as ornate as some on our street!!). Now, we are going through the motions of moving furniture, cleaning every nook and cranny, finding a way for our humble home to contain all of the guests that will descend in just a matter of days.

And so much has to be planned, don’t you know. It’s not just a simple as telling everyone to bring a sack lunch and wrapped gift. Oh, no…there is a menu to be planned, games to be set-up, entertainment to orchestrate, and baby-sitting. By the time we plop into bed on Saturday night, we will have spent an incredible amount of preparation for just two short hours of fun, fun, fun!

PS – I really am looking forward to it!!

For centuries, the prophets pointed to a time when a Messiah would come to redeem Israel and save the world. Their ministry to the people on behalf of God was to prepare the nations for such an event. Even as late as the time of Malachi, the talk of redemption was still on the lips of Judah. Then, some 4 centuries later, the prophecy was fulfilled, and as John the Baptist comes on the scene, he makes it his mission to preach the baptism of forgiveness and to turn people’s hearts to repentance. In that way, he was preparing the world for the ministry of Jesus. In fact, we know from Paul’s writings that God had been preparing the way for His Messiah all along, and at just the right time in history – far be it from us to know when, where, and why – Christ came and died for the ungodly that we might be saved.

In your worship this week, think about what level of preparation it took to put your heart in a right place to receive the Messiah. Meditate on ways you continually prepare a welcome place for him in your life. Seek God’s favor on those you have contact with who have yet to receive the Savior in their own hearts, and pray that God would prepare them for His coming.

Resounding Themes:

Our Savior, the Christ Child
God’s Salvation
A Heart for the World

Getting READY to Worship

Ready, Set, READ

Malachi 3:1-4
Luke 3:1-6

Ready, Set, MEDITATE

- In Malachi, what good news does the prophet bring to the people? Why might this news be received warmly amongst the recipients? Yet, even in the coming of the Almighty, what difficult news is coupled with joy? What service will the Lord render against the people? Why is this a necessary act for His will to continue? What does the Lord have to say about Israel’s current sacrifices and offerings? Why are they currently unacceptable?

- In Luke, we are introduced to another prophet, called John the Baptist. What is he doing as we meet him in the text? What explanation does he give for his actions? How has he used Old Testament prophecy to explain the present day? To whom does he refer?

- Just as the prophets paved the way for the Messiah to come to earth, so too, he has made his way into our hearts. How is your life different because of the coming of the Savior? What hills were leveled and valleys raised for him to have a way into your life? In turn, what can we do in order to smooth the path for the Savior to enter the lives of those we love?

Ready, Set, PRAY

God, what a great preparer You are! For everything we see, and so much we cannot, is the evidence of Your genius, design, and planning. Your masterful preparations have brought forth light where there was darkness, substance where there was void, and life where there was none.

God, we thank you for preparing the way for your son Jesus. Thank you for preparing and arranging history in such a manner to allow Christ to have the greatest effect in accordance to Your will. Thank you for preparing the hearts of those early followers who believed and obeyed the Gospel and brought it forth to this present day. Thank you for cultivating Your own message of salvation in our own hearts, that we too might accept the Messiah into out hearts. And thank you for straightening the paths, lowering the mountains, and raising the valleys for Your son to enter into the heart of every man, woman, and child of present day.

Lord, as this season is upon us, would You do Your preparing work once again, as we receive the baby Jesus into our lives anew, and seek to prepare his entrance into the lives of those we love who have yet to meet him. This is Your servant’s prayer. AMEN.

Ready, Set, WORSHIP!